Lights Issue - Again

[Kamd]

ok, so i got an 85 MGM. My Fiance and I have been workin on it for a little over a month straight. Well the other day, well night actually, i fired it up and was letting it warm up, turned the running lights on and noticed the dash was awful dim, checked the adjustment knob and it was all the way up, then i turned the lights on and everything got dimmer...well i gave it some gas and everything came to life. Brighter than before...but i have a new battery and new-ish alternator....however the next day i put a new starter wire and battery terminals on and when i put the wires back on the positive post of the Solenoid it fell off in pieces into my hands. So could that be the issue or should i be execting to have to get a new alt?

[91waggin]

The electrical path from the + side of the battery on these cars to most everything goes through the starter solenoid on the fender. If there's a crappy connection there, it'll probably mess all kinds of stuff up.

On a separate note, you should upgrade your alternator to a 3g one. The stock 65 amp alternators are fire hazards. Sniff around in the electrical forum and you'll learn all kinds of good stuff about it.

[gadget73]

yeah, the post that fell apart is very probably an issue. Replace the solenoid and see if that doesn't fix it. As mentioned, the entire electrical system conencts together at that spot.

[1990LTD]

Since it sounds like either of the two, and that stock 2g alt will be an issue soon anyway, replacing the solenoid and installing a 3g at the same time might not be a bad idea. Lots of info around here about the alternator upgrade.

[jklnhd]

Since day one, the needles on the gauges of the GT move with the turn signals, my '95 did the same thing, we had an 89 CS that did it, my Grandfather's 88 GM still does it, my 89 GM about dies at idle when you turn the rear defrost on (before it warms up), the signals go faster & slower with engine RPM.

Call it what you want, its a piss poor design to start with.

[gadget73]

Its the crappy stock alternator that causes that. Your Mustang has the same POS on it, and the same problem. The 130 amp almost entirely cures it since its got better idle speed output. I have that issue to some extent even with the 130, but i have underdrive pullies and an electric fan that really beat on the alternator at idle. If not for the fan, it wouldn't have problems.

[jklnhd]

Same alternator?
Is the update/mod/3g thing everybody keeps talkin about the same? Or at least the same idea? Actually, I could probably take advantage of the Mustang aspect and find an aftermarket one (I'm still broke though).

[91waggin]

the 3g/130 amp alt thing everybody is talking about is the same thing. You take an alternator from a mid 90's 3.0 taurus (if you've got the small case 65 amp alt on your panther), swap one wire around, plug the regulator harness back in, and run a big fat 4 gauge wire from the output stud on the alternator to the + side of the battery. (Fuse this wire at 175amp or so)